Early Day Legacy...

Baseball Legacy...

A Grandfather's Legacy

M'Gill Boys Pioneered
In Baseball, Farming &
In Furniture Business Here

That's a fact! The McGill boys in Alva, when combined are known as the McGill Brothers Furniture company, have pioneered in just about everything, including baseball, fighting prairie dogs, farming and furniture.

W. J. McGill -- came to Oklahoma from Kansas with his parents in the fall of 1896, the father buying a quarter-section of land five miles southwest of Alva, adjoining the J. A. McGill homestead.

Here he did some "heavy" farming with a mixture of country school in the winter, until he was 21 years old when his parents moved to Alva where he attended school at the Normal and where (outside of book "larnin'") he lettered in baseball, track and tennis.

After attending school a year or two he gained so much knowledge, under the tutelage of Professors _isk, smith, Vinson, Davis and a few other educational celebrities, Bill was fortunate enough to get a third grade teacher's certificate, teaching three years. (Editor's note: Maybe the kids were unfortunate.)

After three years of teaching Bill gave up what he thinks was his greatest experience; decided to take up baseball and the business of sassing "empires." It did beat the teaching so far as remuneration and plenty of exercise were concerned, and gave him a chance to see some of this great country as well.

He first signed with Minneapolis; then went to the Kansas State league and Austin grabbed him to pitch in the Texas league. At the close of this season he and his brother Jim, bought out A. P. Powell's furniture stock of new and used furniture; Bill playing ball in the summer and wrestling ranges, base burners and heavy furniture in the winter as a conditioner. The next season he was drafted to St. Louis in the American league, pitched and won two games and was traded back to Austin.

After a year back home in the Texas loop Bill wanted to see some more country, playing at Enid, Guthrie, Wichita and Keokuk, Iowa, the next four seasons.

Then of all things! Bill got married (23 March 1910), settled down to an occasional game of ping-pong, marbles and tennis for exercise -- until the golf bug came along!

Bill still is wrestling furniture at the same old stand--and says he likes it.

J. A. McGill -- Known as Jim -- came down from Kansas in the "run" and staked a claim five miles southwest of Alva. Here he built a mansin, size 2x4 -- two steps by four, right in the business section of a booming prairie dog town.

Jim says when you think for a minute it wasn't in the main drag you're all wet. The town's inhabitants aided Jim in cutting his corn and wheat -- but didn't use any judgment as to the right time of year for the harvest.

Jim worked right along with the town for a number of years in comparative peace -- practically on speaking terms with the prairie dogs. They kept on taking his crops and Jim arose in righteous wrath and declared war on his neighbors.

He'd heard that some moving object nearby a dog hill would scare said dogs out of his wits and he'd pack his bag and start out on a tramp. Well, Jim planted an American flag on every prairie dog hill, hoping the star and stripes would get the job done. But what did Mr. Prairie Dog do but sit in the shade of Old Glory unperturbed.

Jim couldn't whip 'em by "jinin'" 'em, so he quit 'em. He lived with his brother-in-law, A. G. Vinson, until his parents came down from Kansas -- then put his feet under Pa McGill's table once again.

Later, with the combined efforts of his friends and neighbors Jim got sweet revenge on his rodent enemies by waging concerted war, driving out the prairie dogs to parts unknown.

McGill's First... Below is the old "Blue Front Furniture Store," original store of McGill Brothers Furniture company, Alva. McGill Bros. Swimming Pool was behind this furniture store. Monfort's Apartments was just west (to the right of the store). Later the Furniture store was moved east a building adjacent to the Brother's first store.

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